For Brian Miller, the latest twist in his family-owned commercial bakery is literal.

It's the Pretzilla, the pretzel-flavored bun — with a bit of a pretzel twist — that is driving the new $4 million facility on Milwaukee's northwest side that Miller's Bakery Inc. plans to begin operating Monday.

The bakery is installing new equipment at the building this week. A company affiliate bought the building in 2012, and then roughly doubled its size over the past several months to 30,000 square feet.

The new production plant, at 8313 N. Steven Road, will be devoted to Pretzillas and other specialty buns. It will have 38 to 40 employees, while 30 to 36 employees will continue working at Miller's downtown bakery at 1415 N. 5th St.

The company has added eight full-time employees since January, Miller said. The project's financing includes loans from Milwaukee Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit business lender affiliated with the city.

Miller's Bakery began making the pretzel-flavored buns in 2007. It was then using about 35 to 40 pounds of dough daily.

After adding the Pretzilla name in 2010 and expanding sales to 36 states, the bakery is now using over 15,000 pounds of dough daily for that production line, Miller said.

The largest customer for Pretzilla buns is the Whole Foods chain, Miller said. The company also is working with regional grocery chains in other cities to expand sales, he said.

The new bakery was designed to avoid some of the production bottlenecks that occur at the downtown facility, Miller said. Also, its buns will be certified as vegan and kosher, as well as nut-free, he said.

Monday's planned production start comes just two days after National Pretzel Day. But that's a coincidence.